Room to Fall

Just as they were about to begin, a ripple seemed to pass over every individual in the Metropolitan’s private casino and all it took was an enquiring glance thrown carelessly over David’s head to identify the new arrival: Teodor Vukomanovic. Camille felt herself still, considered calling the whole thing off, telling Michael that she couldn’t help him before heading home, but of course she remained rooted in her chair, watching as the older man took in the entire room from his vantage point by the door, where men built like slabs of wood with muscles straining under the confines of their black suits flanked his sides. He

Courtesy demanded that Nico should’ve walked straight to the boardroom as soon as he arrived, but his lift up the cramped metal box had—for the second time that morning it seemed—triggered his fear of enclosed spaces, so that by the time he stumbled out muttering a halfhearted goodbye to Timothy the intern, it was all he could do to fight against the irrational panic. Already, his breaths had begun coming out in shallow audible bursts. Nico needed a pick-me-up, but his tight schedule hadn’t afforded him time to indulge in one of his favorite pre-work rituals which involved brewing himself an Espresso and savoring

A woman sat at the bar of the Deluxe with a vacant, far-off expression on her face as if she was not really there. Like she’d upped and left her body behind to fill itself with alcohol until it could take no more. This was the state in which Camille found her best friend. Octavia Tang Carmichael had an ethereal quality about her even sporting a pageboy haircut. Much of it had to do with her fine-boned face, how it happened to be an almost perfect combination of both Eastern and Western features like her name suggested—a pouty mouth, wide brown eyes so dark they looked black in some lights, and slanting cheekbones.

CAPRI Nicolo De Rossi may have come from a family often referred to as the Kennedys of Italy, but he was not a man who went out of his way to act like he did. In fact, save the condo in Lombardy which he’d purchased he could not say for sure if truly there was ever a time he’d gone out of his way to splurge on anything. He had an expensive car and chauffer of course, but these had come with his job; and all of his clothes were purchased by his sister-in-law and be

Flanked on either side by his two sons, Adolfo stood by one of the white columns outside, where he received the guests who began to arrive at about four p.m. in groups, bringing with them the smell of expensive French perfumes and occasional murmurs of admiration as the villa in all its extravagant largesse unfolded before them.As expected, they were a colorful bunch: two Pulitzer Prize winners the Count claimed to